This invention is an improvement upon the disposable garment of U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 902,828 and 902,930 both filed Sept. 3, 1986 and assigned to the instant assignee, the entire disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference and relied upon. The following U.S. patent application Serial Numbers, concurrently filed herewith, are also expressly incorporated herein by reference and relied upon: Ser. Nos. 947,942; 947,941, 947,948; and 947,949.
Disposable garments are generally well known in the art and have become an important and an essentially indispensable sanitary protection item, most particularly in the field of infant and child care where disposable diapers provide for the absorption and containment of urine and other bodily exudates. Present commercially available disposable diapers are generally unitary, preshaped and prefolded, and comprised of a porous facing layer, a fluid impervious backing sheet with an absorbent material disposed therebetween. These presently available disposable diapers have met a particular need and have become ever increasingly popular. However, even though the present available disposable diapers have achieved a certain degree of efficiency and effectiveness, several draw-backs remain that have been identified by mothers of infants wearing the diapers. These mothers have strongly voiced their desire to be able to obtain disposable diapers that are aesthetically neat and attractive when on their infant or child. The aesthetically neat criteria have been identified as including a trim, slim fit, and a neat fitting waist and legs that do not allow leakage of urine or feces. It has also been found that mothers do not want their children looking rumpled, bulky or messy. In addition, these mothers have expressed the desire to either have a disposable diaper that fits more sizes of babies or to have disposable diapers provided in more sizes. Another draw-back identified by these mothers has been the problem associated with skin irritation caused by urine, feces or moisture trapped next to the skin. They have again been very vocal in their desire to obtain disposable diapers that avoid or solve this problem.
A variety of prior diaper constructions have used leg or waist gathers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,245 to Mesek, et al., discloses a gathered or bloused design wherein waterproof extruded elastic film is applied to the waist and leg areas of a film barrier backsheet having an absorbent adhered thereto so that the elastic deforms the absorbent structure; again, such an arrangement represents the current state of disposable diapers on the market. Others include U.S. Pat. No. 3,196,872 to Hrubecky showing a rectangular diaper provided with triangular-shaped infolds in the crotch area, U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,003 to Buell wherein the diaper edges are provided with elasticized, flexible flaps along the edge of the absorbent pad in the crotch region and U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,462 to Woon, et al. wherein the diaper is elasticized only along the edges in the narrowed crotch area to create gross transverse rugosities in the crotch area.
Prior art constructions, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,064 to Pociluyko and U.S. Pat. No. 3,370,590 to Hokanson, et al. have attempted to provide waste containment with a reusable liquid impermeable diaper cover having waterproof pouches or pockets for freely receiving an absorbent, such as a traditional cloth diaper or disposable absorbent; however, the retaining pouches on these supporting garments occlude the skin, covering the target areas at which urine is excreted. U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,128 to Motomura, discloses a diaper cover with sections of waterproof and stretching material in the cover adjacent the fasteners. U.S. Pat. No. 2,141,105 is similar, nevertheless, such constructions rely upon reuseable treated woven fabric and many have seams to fully integrate other nonstretchable absorbent components between stretchable diaper ears, effectively eliminating any stretch properties in the front or rear panels or along the waist and leg openings of the diaper cover. Moreover, there is no recognition of a functional absorbent structure integrated into a stretchable outer cover providing cooperative interactions therebetween to enhance the fit, appearance and containment of the diapering system.
Other approaches have utilized elastic fluid impermeable backing films laminated to an absorbent layer in an attempt to provide enhanced conformability to the body surface, but these films are occlusive to the skin, there is no cooperation of elements elucidated and the integration of the absorbent component restricts the elasticity of the outer cover by the manner in which it is bonded thereto. In this type of construction, the elastic backing film must provide both the barrier function and the fit and conformability functions of the diaper. Such an absorbent dressing is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,464 to Korpman.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,646 to Daniels, et al. discloses a reuseable diaper capable of repeated sterilizations in a diaper laundry, comprising elasticized end and side margins and a durable absorbent such as cotton sewn into the crotch area of the waterproof diaper cover, which is a Teflon.RTM. coated polyester or equivalent woven material.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,597,761, 4,496,360 and 4,597,670 all disclose multi-component diapering systems comprising a disposable absorbent capable of attachment to a reusable overgarment. U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,425 to Jones, et al., which uses a melt-blown elastic border strip, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,644,157 to Draper both disclose disposable stretchable panties or shorts unsuitable for use as diapering garments.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,991 to Pieniak discloses a reticulated elastic member secured between the facing and film backing sheets of a diaper. U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,964 to Wideman discloses a pleated web bonded to an elastomeric film, however, breathability is not simultaneously imparted to the composite by the bonding process. Various non-elastomeric films require stretching to impart porosity therein. U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,407 to Ness discloses a laminate rendered elastic by stretching.
In summary, presently available disposable diapers utilize nonstretchable backsheets functioning both as the diaper cover and liquid barrier with absorbent adhered thereto and fastenable around the wearer via tapes; even where such designs have attempted to use impermeable elastic film barriers, there has been inadequate recognition of the associated problems. Prior art diaper covers, reusable for holding an absorbent, do not address the many substantial interactive concerns presented by a separate absorbent insert, stretchable outer cover, leg and waist gathers and a fastening system. There is a need for making breathable elastomeric nonwoven composites from waterproof nonadhesive elastic carrier films in a one-step process and for garments incorporating such materials. There is a further need for form-fitting, self-adjusting disposable absorbent garments incorporating breathable gathers in achieving a synchronous functionality of the combined diapering system.